Related Experiment Videos
Dietary sodium reduction: is there cause for concern?
1Center for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Pennsylvania State University, USA.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
|June 1, 1997
Summary
Public health recommendations for moderate sodium (Na) reduction are safe for US adults. Extensive data from 20 randomized trials support the safety of lowering Na intake, with no evidence of adverse effects.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Current US dietary guidelines advise moderate sodium (Na) reduction for adults.
- Periodic concerns arise regarding potential adverse effects of this sodium (Na) intake recommendation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the evidence addressing concerns about adverse effects of moderate sodium (Na) reduction.
- To assess the safety of current public health recommendations for sodium (Na) intake.
Main Methods:
- Systematic MEDLINE search (1984-1995) and review of policy documents.
- Inclusion of 20 randomized human intervention trials of sodium (Na) reduction with ≥6 months follow-up.
- Analysis of urinary Na excretion data and adverse effect reports from diverse populations.
Main Results:
- Concerns based on short-term, Na-depletion studies were deemed irrelevant to moderate reduction.
- Speculative concerns were not supported by evidence from 20 randomized trials.
- No data suggested cause for concern regarding moderate sodium (Na) reduction.
Conclusions:
- Extensive data support the safety of public health recommendations for moderate sodium (Na) reduction.
- Current evidence does not indicate adverse effects from moderate sodium (Na) intake reduction in the general population.